Mollusks is a generic name for a number of so-called seafoods including clams, oysters, scallops, etc. The process of opening and removal of the meat from the shell is known in the trade as shucking. Shucking has been accomplished heretofore and by apparatus. Shucking by apparatus is preferable for the economies involved since shucking by hand is slow, tedious and expensive.
It is known to mechanically shuck mollusks by first heat treating the mollusks or freezing them and then subjecting the mollusks to shock by a rotating roller and breaker bar. As set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,832,989 and 3,665,554, mollusks are subjected to a mechanical shock which is sufficient to weaken the muscles and/or slightly open the shell without damaging the shell. Thereafter, the mollusks in said patents are subjected to a heat treatment and then are subjected to a second shock which opens and/or separates the meat from the shell. The requirement for pretreating the mollusks by heat or refrigeration unnecessarily complicates the process, adds to the cost of the process, and/or makes it impractical to use the process at sea so that the mollusks may be immediately shucked aboard ship.
Thus, prior processes heretofore which utilize mechanical shock do so in connection with other processing steps involving heat or refrigeration as a means for weakening the muscle and the attachment of the meat to the shell.
The texture of meat shucked without heat is quite different from that shucked with heat. Meat shucked without the application of heat is more tender. Excessive toughness is a problem in some forms of mollusk meat products. Thus, tenderization achieved by this process is in these products a significant advantage.